That Voice Coming From Your Roku TV Is the Screen Reader, and It Can Be Switched Off

Because the feature is intended for users who need it, many owners who hear the narration never turned it on deliberately. According to Engadget, Roku's remote carries a screen reader shortcut that activates when the Options button, the one marked with a small star, is pressed four times in a row. The trigger is easy to hit by accident: a remote that slips between couch cushions or a pet that steps on it can set the narration going.

The same shortcut also turns the screen reader off. Pressing Options four more times ends the narration, Engadget reported, which makes it the quickest fix for owners who simply want the voice to stop.

Those who prefer to work through the on-screen menus can do so instead. From the remote's Home button, the path runs through Settings and then Accessibility, where scrolling down to Screen Reader and selecting Off disables the feature. The screen reader sits inside the Accessibility section of the settings menu, alongside Roku's other accessibility options, and can be switched back on from the same place at any time.

Roku also allows users to remove the remote shortcut entirely so the feature cannot be switched on by accident again. Returning to the Screen Reader section under the Accessibility menu, users can find the Shortcut option and turn it off, which leaves the screen reader itself available to anyone who wants to enable it manually from the menu.

The screen reader is not the only Roku setting kept away from the main interface. Engadget noted that owners dealing with other issues, such as a lagging Wi-Fi connection or a wish to change the types of ads they see, may find answers in Roku's secret menus, which hold additional information and settings beyond those displayed in the standard menu.